Death Penalty

HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) — A judge has given federal prosecutors until the end of this month to decide whether they will seek the death penalty against five men charged in northwestern Indiana with murder as part of their gang's drug trafficking activity. U.S. District Judge Rudy Lozano has ordered federal prosecutors to file their intention on whether to seek the death penalty against Alexander Vargas of Highland and four others by June 30. Lozano says the decision must be made by then so the case can go to trial as scheduled on Sept.

The death penalty case against a Fulton County man is moving forward, as both sides agreed to sequester the jury at the upcoming trial Roy Bell faces the possibility of the death penalty in the killing of 81-year-old Wilma Upsall. She was found shot to death at her home near Rochester two days before Thanksgiving. Two other men, Jason Miller of Plymouth and William Scroggs of Delong are also charged with murder but do not face the possibility of the death penalty.

The Fulton County Prosecutor is asking for the death penalty against one of three men accused of murdering an 81-year-old woman. Prosecutors filed a death sentence request for Roy Bell Wednesday. Prosecutors argue Bell should be sentenced to death because he intentionally killed Wilma Upsall during a burglary at her home 10 miles northwest of Rochester and because he criminally confined her. Police say Upsall was tied to a chair with a telephone cord during the burglary in November.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A man accused of decapitating his disabled 7-year-old son has been assigned a lawyer experienced in death-penalty cases. Kerry Cuccia (KOO'-chuh) says his appointment Tuesday doesn't mean prosecutors will seek the death penalty for 30-year-old Jeremiah Lee Wright. He says the Capital Defense Project of Southeast Louisiana tries to get involved whenever anyone is booked with first-degree murder, which can bring a death sentence. Police say Wright confessed to killing Jori Lirette (lih-RET')

ROCHESTER - The court hearing that was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon on the three men accused in the murder of 81-year-old Wilma Upsall was postponed. Upsall was found shot to death in a home just outside Rochester two days before Thanksgiving. Roy Bell, William Scroggs and Jason Miller are charged with murder, robbery, and burglary. Police say they went to Upsall's home to steal guns they knew were inside. Court documents say Miller told investigators he and Scroggs were outside when Bell was still in the home.

I have long opposed the death penalty and always will.  There is no “social” issue that is more important to me.  In part my opposition is based on religious beliefs and even more so because I do not believe the state should lower itself to the very lowest elements of society, and killers are just that. Of course there is another element involved, and that is the undeniable fact that some innocent human beings have been executed, killed, their lives snuffed out.  It just has to be true because: 1)

KENNEWICK, Wash. (AP) — A Washington woman convicted of murdering a pregnant woman and cutting the baby from her womb has been sentenced to life in prison. The Tri-City Herald reports that 25-year-old Phienchai Sisouvanh Synhavong (PEE'-en-chay SIS'-oo-vahn SIN'-ha-vahng) was sentenced Wednesday. She was found guilty of aggravated first-degree murder in the June 2008 death of Araceli Camacho Gomez, whose body was found in a city park. The baby survived and is now living with his father.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) - The aunt of a Connecticut man convicted of killing a woman and her two daughters in a home invasion told a jury he doesn't deserve the death penalty because he's been rejected since birth and has a daughter he loves. Karlie Lebatique testified Monday her nephew Joshua Komisarjevsky (koh-mih-sar-JEV'-skee) "has been rejected, attacked, abused, doubted" since he was in the womb. A prosecutor reminded her of details of the crime, in which the family was tied up and gas poured on the girls before the house was set on fire.

LEBANON, Ind. (AP) — A man who authorities believe fatally stabbed his twin brother, father and stepmother in their central Indiana home has been sentenced to prison for threatening a jail guard. A Boone County judge gave a 30-month sentence to 20-year-old Barney Jose Chamorro on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to the charges. The Lebanon Reporter reports that the guard said Chamorro asked why he had been moved to the jail's lockdown section and then became irate and threw the unknown contents of a cup onto the guard.

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (AP) - A convicted sex offender accused of sexually assaulting and killing a 17-year-old southern Indiana girl said Thursday that he didn't plan the crime but "lost control" after the girl resisted his advances. Richard Hooten, 49, of Clarksville also said he didn't realize how young Tara Willenborg was. "I just lost it in my head. I just lost control," Hooten told reporters gathered at the Clark County Sheriff's Office, the Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky., reported ( http://cjky.it/14z1qkr )

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (AP) - A convicted sex offender accused of sexually assaulting and killing a 17-year-old southern Indiana girl said Thursday that he didn't plan the crime but "lost control" after the girl resisted his advances. Richard Hooten, 49, of Clarksville also said he didn't realize how young Tara Willenborg was. "I just lost it in my head. I just lost control," Hooten told reporters gathered at the Clark County Sheriff's Office, the Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky., reported ( http://cjky.it/14z1qkr )

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - An Indiana woman serving a life sentence in the 2005 beating death of her 4-year-old stepdaughter has asked a judge to reverse her conviction. Michelle D. Gauvin's attorney claimed during a court hearing Thursday that the Lafayette woman received poor representation from court-appointed attorneys during her murder trial in the March 2005 death of Aiyana Gauvin. State deputy public defender Joanna Green told a Tippecanoe County judge considering Gauvin's bid for post-conviction relief that trial attorneys failed to object to what she claims was irrelevant and prejudicial testimony from state witnesses, the Journal & Courier reports ( http://on.jconline.com/UURXjc )

The death penalty case against a Fulton County man is moving forward, as both sides agreed to sequester the jury at the upcoming trial Roy Bell faces the possibility of the death penalty in the killing of 81-year-old Wilma Upsall. She was found shot to death at her home near Rochester two days before Thanksgiving. Two other men, Jason Miller of Plymouth and William Scroggs of Delong are also charged with murder but do not face the possibility of the death penalty.

The Fulton County Prosecutor is asking for the death penalty against one of three men accused of murdering an 81-year-old woman. Prosecutors filed a death sentence request for Roy Bell Wednesday. Prosecutors argue Bell should be sentenced to death because he intentionally killed Wilma Upsall during a burglary at her home 10 miles northwest of Rochester and because he criminally confined her. Police say Upsall was tied to a chair with a telephone cord during the burglary in November.

ROCHESTER - The court hearing that was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon on the three men accused in the murder of 81-year-old Wilma Upsall was postponed. Upsall was found shot to death in a home just outside Rochester two days before Thanksgiving. Roy Bell, William Scroggs and Jason Miller are charged with murder, robbery, and burglary. Police say they went to Upsall's home to steal guns they knew were inside. Court documents say Miller told investigators he and Scroggs were outside when Bell was still in the home.

LAS VEGAS (AP) - A Las Vegas couple has been indicted on murder and conspiracy charges in the slaying of an apartment owner whose body was found in a garment box outside a downtown apartment building. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports 20-year-olds Anthony Stiger and Melanie Costantini also were indicted on one count each of armed robbery and burglary in the slaying of 58-year-old Harold Myles Shilberg. They could face the death penalty. The indictment handed up Wednesday moves the case to state court.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) - The aunt of a Connecticut man convicted of killing a woman and her two daughters in a home invasion told a jury he doesn't deserve the death penalty because he's been rejected since birth and has a daughter he loves. Karlie Lebatique testified Monday her nephew Joshua Komisarjevsky (koh-mih-sar-JEV'-skee) "has been rejected, attacked, abused, doubted" since he was in the womb. A prosecutor reminded her of details of the crime, in which the family was tied up and gas poured on the girls before the house was set on fire.

I have long opposed the death penalty and always will.  There is no “social” issue that is more important to me.  In part my opposition is based on religious beliefs and even more so because I do not believe the state should lower itself to the very lowest elements of society, and killers are just that. Of course there is another element involved, and that is the undeniable fact that some innocent human beings have been executed, killed, their lives snuffed out.  It just has to be true because: 1)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The attorney representing a Northern California woman accused of killing her 6-week-old daughter in a microwave oven says she needs more information about the woman's mental health before she can enter a plea on her behalf. Linda Parisi (par-EE'-see) says the psychological health of her client, Ka Yang, may have affected her actions. The Sacramento County district attorney's office agreed during a brief court hearing Friday to give Parisi until Sept.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A man accused of decapitating his disabled 7-year-old son has been assigned a lawyer experienced in death-penalty cases. Kerry Cuccia (KOO'-chuh) says his appointment Tuesday doesn't mean prosecutors will seek the death penalty for 30-year-old Jeremiah Lee Wright. He says the Capital Defense Project of Southeast Louisiana tries to get involved whenever anyone is booked with first-degree murder, which can bring a death sentence. Police say Wright confessed to killing Jori Lirette (lih-RET')